Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of various cardiac illnesses, including ischemic, valvular and cardiomyopathic disease, the most cost-effective means of employing laboratory testing and treatment modalities remains an issue in most practice settings. With the advent of managed care and vigilant third-party payer evaluation of the use of diagnostic tests and hospital length of stay, the most effective medical and economic method of managing everyday cardiac illness is a question that arises daily in practice. To this end, we have selected well-known and widely published experts in cardiac diagnosis and therapy to develop practical and informative approaches outlining the most cost-effective methods of